Skritter Review: Easily The Best App For Learning Characters

Skritter

Pricing: $14.99 for one month, $59.99 for 6 months, or $99.99 for one year

Positives

• Gamified app that makes learning characters fun and addictive
• Advanced writing recognition
• Flashcards and review features

Negatives

• Slightly overpriced

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Summary

Hands down the best Chinese and Japanese character training app with handwriting recognition, but it is slightly overpriced.

Depth This is 'content' richness. How comprehensive is Skritter and does it take you far in terms of levels, or is it more suited to low level/tourist learners?

Uniqueness Is Skritter innovative or is it just an imitation? Does it have a unique selling proposition (USP) that makes it stand out among competitors?

Quality Overall product quality indicator that covers everything from video/dialogue clarity, authenticity, explanations, and effectiveness.

Cost Is Skritter acceptably priced and how does its pricing compare to market competition?

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The team behind Skritter aims to make writing Chinese and Japanese characters simple for learners of these languages.

It focuses on the foundations of writing and lets you select your own goals.

I was curious about this, so decided to review the platform and see how beneficial it would be.

Skritter’s features

The app features a tool that recognises handwriting.

There are also flashcards to help you begin recognising the characters, and the platform will test you to see whether you remember the written version of the Chinese or Japanese character.

Each character has an audio recording that plays when you’re in the process of writing it.

This repeats several times.

Other features include a review option and videos to help you learn.

This app is also gamified.

Character writing interface

You’ll be shown the character first on a grid and be asked to trace it on the app.

Then, it will be over to you to form the letter, with nothing but the grid and your memory.

Thankfully, you can revisit the character at any point to refresh your memory.

I found the character writing interface highly useful.

It’s set out like a grid, which guides you when forming the character you’re focusing on.

Spaced repetition strategy

If you’ve got a memory like a sieve — just like I do — the spaced repetition strategy will help you a lot.

Every so often there is an audio recording that pronounces the phonetic version of the character.

This will help you recall how the character is pronounced and successfully retain what you learn.

Track your progress

I thought this feature was quite important when using the Skritter app.

It’s the key way to know how you’re doing.

So, the first way you’ll be able to track your progress is with a review report.

The review report shows your success rate and the number of characters you have got incorrect.

The second way is using a gamified time attack mode that has leader boards and shows your personal best.

The leader boards also show other high scores, which will encourage you to retain as much as possible.

If you’re into games as a younger learner, this is the best way to monitor how you’re advancing.

Learn the order of strokes to create characters

The stroke order feature is one of the most useful of all of them.

If you think stroke order is complicated, this feature will make the entire process simpler.

It will take you by the hand and lead you through the standard stroke order to write Chinese and Japanese characters.

Overall, it’s a brilliant app and I’m unaware of any real alternatives, so even though the price is too high for an app, it’s probably worthwhile.

Have you used Skritter before?

Share your thoughts below.

Try Skritter

Pricing: $14.99 for one month, $59.99 for 6 months, or $99.99 for one year

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